Artemisia caruifolia
At a glance
- Lifecycle
- Annual
- Exposure
- Full sun
Cultivation
We have very little information on this species and do not know if it will be hardy in Britain, though judging by its native range it could succeed outdoors in many parts of this country. The following notes are based on the general needs of the genus. Easily grown in a well-drained circumneutral or slightly alkaline loamy soil, preferring a sunny position. Members of this genus are rarely if ever troubled by browsing deer.
Propagation
Seed - surface sow from late winter to early summer in a greenhouse. When large enough to handle, prick the seedlings out into individual pots and plant them out in the summer. Cuttings of half-ripe wood, July/August in a frame. Division in spring or autumn.
Edible uses
Young plants - cooked in the spring.
Medicinal uses
The whole plant is depurative, febrifuge, stomachic, tonic and vermifuge. A decction of the root is used in the treatment of asthma. This plant can be used interchangeably with Artemisia annua. The medicinal virtues of that plant are as follows:- Qing Ho, better known in the West as sweet wormwood, is a traditional Chinese herbal medicine. An aromatic anti-bacterial plant, recent research has shown that it destroys malarial parasites, lowers fevers and checks bleeding. The leaves are antiperiodic, antiseptic, digestive, febrifuge. The plant contains artemisinin, this substance has proved to be a dramatically effective anti-malarial. The seeds are used in the treatment of flatulence, indigestion and night sweats.
Material uses
The plant is burnt to repel insects.
Habitat
Moist river banks, floodlands, waysides, outer forest margins, canyons and coastal beaches from low elevations up to 4600 metres.
Native range
E. Asia - China, Japan, Himalayas.